Lynn calmly stepped forward. Most of the eyes in the Great Hall were still immersed in the excitement of the Star of the Chosen belonging to Gryffindor, but quite a few people curiously sized up this quiet-tempered first-year with obvious Eastern heritage. At the teachers' table especially, Dumbledore's bright blue eyes peered through his half-moon spectacles with gentle curiosity; Professor Snape, with his greasy black hair, hooked nose, and cold expression, merely gave Lynn an indifferent glance before lowering his eyes again; Professor McGonagall's gaze carried a faint, almost imperceptible expectation.
Lynn sat on the high stool. The Sorting Hat was placed over his short black hair, its brim covering his deep eyes.
In an instant, a vast and boundless torrent of consciousness, carrying the chill aura of starlight and the weight of ancient ages, burst into the Sorting Hat's old and worldly-wise "mind" like a collapsed dam!
"Merlin's beard!" The moment it made contact, the Sorting Hat let out an utterly shocked, even faintly trembling silent scream in Lynn's mind! Its "consciousness" seemed to have been cast into an endless sea of cosmic stars!
What did it see? Not specific memories, but an essence! A power as profound as the origin of the universe slumbered deep within Lynn's soul—cold, powerful, eternal! The mark of the Star Stone was clear as a brand! More astonishing still, at the core of that cold power was a thread of warm, resilient will, protective as moonlight! That will shared the same source as the aura of Hermione Granger, who had just been sorted into Gryffindor! Was it an oath of protection? Or a bond between souls?
The Hat frantically "flipped through" Lynn's traits: composure far beyond his age, near-terrifying logic and insight, unfathomable potential for magical talent, a deep understanding of the nature of power, born from the Starry Notebook and his knowledge from a previous life, and... beneath that cold starlight, an incomparably pure and steadfast will to protect, ignited by a certain brown-haired girl!
"Ravenclaw! Without a doubt! The knowledge and wisdom in that mind of yours are enough to light up the Diadem of Ravenclaw!" the Hat whispered excitedly in Lynn's mind.
"Slytherin! Oh, what tremendous potential! That calmness, that sense of control over power! Slytherin can give you the sharpest authority!" The Hat caught that restrained command buried deep within his soul.
"Gryffindor? This courage to protect... burns as fiercely as the heart of a furnace! The determination to face everything for the sake of protection..." The Hat was deeply shaken by the protective will for Hermione, so vivid in the depths of Lynn's consciousness.
The Hat fell into unprecedented conflict and shock. Never had it encountered a soul so complex, yet so pure! Coldness and warmth, wisdom and courage, power and protection formed a strange, near-perfect balance within him. The qualities of all four Houses shone brightly in him!
Second by second, time passed. Soft murmurs began to rise in the Great Hall. Harry, Ron, and Hermione all watched Lynn nervously. Hermione clasped her hands so tightly that her knuckles turned white, while the Moon White Stone beneath her robes sent out waves of faint heat. She silently cried out in her heart: Gryffindor! Gryffindor!
"Hard to choose... far too hard to choose..." the Sorting Hat muttered troubledly in Lynn's mind. "Your belonging... seems to transcend the boundaries of the Houses..."
"Then," Lynn's calm voice replied within their shared consciousness, "how about I choose?"
The Hat fell silent for a moment, as though considering the suggestion. "...Where do you want to go, young man?"
Lynn's gaze passed beyond the Hat's brim and landed precisely on the Gryffindor table, on the girl watching him anxiously, her brown curls dancing in the candlelight. The Star Stone gave off a clear, directed warmth.
"My courage was born from protection," Lynn replied clearly in his heart. "My place is where she is."
The Sorting Hat seemed to let out a long, silent breath, as though it had finally found the key to the answer. The courage born of protection and that unmistakable sense of belonging shattered all its hesitation.
"Ah... I understand!" The Sorting Hat's voice carried a relieved sigh and a strange note of admiration. "Then, as you wish! Remember your choice!"
The Hat drew a deep breath, in a spiritual sense, and its booming voice rang through the Great Hall:
"Gryffindor!"
The Gryffindor table erupted in enthusiastic cheers once more! Hermione nearly jumped to her feet, clapping excitedly, her face blooming with a smile brighter than candlelight. Pure joy and a glimmer of tears shone in her eyes. Harry and Ron shouted excitedly as well.
Lynn calmly removed the Hat, placed it back on the stool, and gave Professor McGonagall a slight nod. Then he turned and walked toward the Gryffindor table with steady steps. Countless gazes fell on him—curious, probing, astonished. He went straight to Hermione's side and sat in the empty seat she had deliberately saved for him.
"I knew it! I knew you'd come to Gryffindor!" Hermione's voice was full of uncontrollable excitement, her little face flushed red.
Lynn turned to look at her eyes, sparkling brightly with excitement, and a faint yet genuine smile curved his lips. "I told you, Hogwarts is where I belong." His gaze fell upon the Moon White Stone pendant at her chest, where the warmth of their earlier resonance seemed to linger. "And where you are is Gryffindor."
Hermione's cheeks instantly turned scarlet like ripe apples, but this time, she did not look away. Her bright eyes brimmed with starlike laughter and a trace of shy sweetness. The Moon White Stone at her chest clearly responded to the warm current from the Star Stone.
Headmaster Dumbledore stood and announced the feast. With a light clap of his hands, the previously empty golden plates instantly filled with food: golden roast beef, mountains of mashed potatoes, glistening roast chicken, steaming meat pies, and countless shimmering puddings and ice creams!
The Great Hall was instantly filled with the fragrance of food, laughter, and cheerful voices. Lynn picked up a Yorkshire Pudding, his gaze casually sweeping over the teachers' table. Professor Snape's cold eyes were shifting away from him toward Draco Malfoy at the Slytherin table opposite. Headmaster Dumbledore's gaze, meanwhile, rested gently on Lynn for a moment. Deep within those bright blue eyes flashed a knowing understanding and a hint of unfathomable interest.
The sorting was decided, with the stars as witness. Beneath the red-and-gold banners, their magical journey officially set sail amid flickering candlelight and the fragrance of a table full of delicacies. Lynn could feel the joy of the girl beside him flowing silently into his star-like, boundless life like a warm stream.
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